In September, u.S. import prices rose 0.2 percent from August, when they also fell 0.2 percent, the labor department said. The increase came as a surprise to economists who did not expect prices to change in August. This was due to a significant increase in the cost of imported fuel into the country. Its price jumped 2.1% after falling by 1.9% a month earlier. The import price index, which excludes fuel prices, fell 0.1 per cent after stability over the previous two months. Non-fuel industrial materials rose by 0.5%, food and beverages decreased in price by 0.8%. Export prices fell 0.2 percent in September, slowing the pace of a 0.6 percent drop in the previous month. Economists also did not expect this indicator to change last month. Prices for foreign-supplied agricultural products fell by 1.8%, slowing the decline relative to the decline of 2.3% in August. Exports of non-agricultural goods fell by 0.1%. In August, there was a decrease in the prices of these goods by 0.3%. The annual import price index fell by 1.6%. The fall in the price of imported fuel in the country in annual terms amounted to 5.1%. Export prices fell by 1.6% compared to the same month last year.